Patrick cunningham



(No Model.)

P. CUNNINGHAM.

DYNAMITE ROCKET.

No. 479,738. Patented July 26, 1-892.

B um l WITNESSES: P" I If,

Nrri: STATES m res. I

PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, on NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIsNoR TO THE AMERICAN CARRIER ROCKET COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

DYNAM ITEROCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,738, dated July 26, 1992.

Application filed June 24, 1891. Serial lilo. 397,295. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, a'citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and use-..

. and charge of explosive material, and in a -tube forming the tail of the rocket a firingcharge connected to the rocket-head by a timeiuse and also with a percussion fuse or cap,

and a movable weight adapted and arranged to strike the said cap, and a second exploding charge and percussion-fuse and exploder near the extremity of the tubular tail opposite to the firing-head, the said tube being arranged to receive the dynamite or other explosive, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my dynamite rocket, and Fig. 2

is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Like numerals of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

l is the rocket-firing head, made of any approvedmaterial and packed with composition.

in the usual manner. At the apex of the head of the rocket at 2 is a longitudinallymovable pin,-having a hole therein for the passage of a safety-pin 3. This pin 3 is made of Wood or equivalent material, which will bro and permitthe pin2 to be driven inward when the endof the rocket strikes the ground or other object at the end of its flight.

4 is a passage in the upper extremity of the rocket-head, and 5 is a fulminate-cap which communicates with a charge 6 of explosive material.

- percussion orconcussion;

apex of the rocket-head; hen said head H is a top plate secured within the rockethead.

. 8' is a choke-plate,'and 9 is the back plug. 10 is the fuse for firing the rocket. 11 is a fuse communicating with the interior of therocket-head and with a fuse-tube 12, fixed in-the tube forming the tail of the rocket.

. 13 is a tapering head connected to the fir- 6o ing-head and to the tailatube 20. This tube is designed to carry dynamite andmeans for explodingtthe same.

14 is a cross-bar or plug within the tube 20, carrying the fuse-tube 12.

15 is a tube mounted-within tube and carrying an explosive compound 6 16 are in'te'rior blocksprovided with nipples 22, arranged to carry fulminate-caps 5.

17 17 are weights arranged .to slide in tube 15, butnormally held in place. by breakable pins 3, as above explained for the pin 2.

18 is a closing-plate at the extremity of the tube 20. t

When constructed and arranged in accord- 7 ance with the foregoing description,'the operation of mydevice is as follows: The rocket is placed in any convenient position for firing and the fuse 10 ignited. The rocket starts with an easy movement and in such a manner as not to jar or disturb the dynamite until the same is carried to the point where it is desired that the explosion should take place. As the rocket composition begins to burn, the

fuse 11 is ignited and burns a predetermined 8 time, at the expiration of which time the f use. ignites the explosive material with which it is connected, causing an explosion, and this explosion explodes the dynamite or other high explosive, with which its tubular tail. is loaded. 9e 7 I do not rely upon this means alone for exploding the dynamite, but provide three sop-- arate and distinct independent additional means for causing the explosion bymeans of.

comes in contact with soft earth or other object, the pin 3vwill break, permitting the piece 2 to be driven inward against the cap, exploding the charge in the apex of the rocket-head "\IOO In. case the rocket should strike in a slanting, I

direction this means of causing the explosion.

The first is in the might fail, and to provide for such a co'ntin- I gency have furnished. the movable weights or hammers 17. ,lVhen the rocket strikes, the

pins 3 in the tube 15, holding said weights in place, will be broken and the weights released;

buttheir momentum will cause them to be driven forward against the fulminete-cep's, and thus the explosion of the material car,-

ried by the tube forming the rocket-tail is insn red; I r Having now'fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The eombination, with a, self-propelling projectile or rocket, of'a, tube forming the tail of the rocket, adapted and arrenged'te carry explosives, percussion firing devices connectedwith an explosive-chamber of the device,

burning propellingcompoundgof a. tube forming the tail thereof, arranged for carr dng explosives, ands lime-fuse connected therewith and with the rocket-prope1ling chembeigs'ubstantially as s-hownend described.-

3. The combination, with the rocket having:-

s rearwardly-open chamber charged with it gradually-burningpropelling compound, an explosive carried in the apex of the rocketheed, and means for exploding the same, operated by the arrest of the flight oi the rocket,

of the tubular tail and an explosive carried thereby, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a'self-propeiling projectile or rocket hevinge rearwerdly-open chamber charged with a gradually-burning propelling compound, of areoeptecle for expiosive', forming the tail of the rocket, and a percussion or concussion piece'and'i cap coin-.

munieeting with and adapted to fire the explosive, errenged substantially as shown end described.

PATRICK CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

ROBERT F. RAYMOND, Jossrs IDA TIRRA. 

